Dining Out: Canton House
I remember the first Chinese restaurant I ever went to. I was in elementary school, out with a girlfriend's family for her birthday party, and her parents took us out to their favorite spot. I wasn't excited about the meal, but my friend was so fired up, I didn't want to complain. Instead I went along with the plan and let her parents order for us. My taste palate has never been the same.
If you live in Atlanta and are a Chinese food fan, chances are you hit assorted spots on Buford Highway. Gu's Bistro was my personal favorite, but they never did Dim Sum. (Sadly, Gu's recently closed and are looking for a new location.) Dim Sum is where the kitchen pushes around a cart with whatever is hot and you pick your plate as they come by. Unless you're a regular at The Gunshow, chances are you don't order your food this way.
The most popular local spot for Dim Sum is Canton House, so we finally went a few weeks ago.
Our kids have had Chinese food before and they love it. But I think the chopsticks are half of the appeal. I mean, why wouldn't they be?However, what I like is the kids get to take charge of what they eat without much persuasion on our part. Decisions are easy when they see what they are ordering. I picked the ribs, Josh liked the chicken in the green (why green?) wraps, and Ellie was all about the shrimp dumplings. Billy was happy to go along with our choices. We also picked up assorted fried dim sum as well - rolls and dumplings, but they weren't very photogenic! Overall, the flavors were good, but not earth-shattering. The experience was definitely more of the highlight.
Fortunately, at least for the adults, the entrees were better. The shrimp with broccoli was SUPER flavorful with subtle ginger and garlic undertones. However, the dish of the evening was the chicken with black beans. This dish had decidedly more kick than the shrimp, so the kids weren't nearly as happy as the grown ups.Of course, we had the classic Chinese dinner dessert, oranges and fortune cookies.
Why don't Chinese restaurants have decent dessert selections? Not that we needed much more food, but I would not object to some sort of mochi equivalent!While I would definitely put this on your family outing list, go for the experience as much as the food.